Ladder



May 21, 1929. w. H. SALIJVAGE LADDER Filed June 10 1926 Patented May 21 1929.

UNITED STATES- ATENT. OFFICYEQ WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE, or New YORK, a. Y., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

To ROYAL nnrnwaynvrrzaovnnnurs CORPORATION, on NEW YORK, N. Y., A con- PORATION OF DELAWARE.

Application filed June 10,

arate unit or attached in sections to the walls of buildings, vessels, mines, and the like. 1

7 One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a simple, strong and safe ladder preferably made from one piece of silos, chimneys,

rolled steel plate and free fromloose parts which are likely to become detached and cause accidents.

A further object is to provide a durable, reliable and compact ladder which may be easily and quickly attached in secured position to a car or other wall.

A further object is to provide a ladder of the above character which will permit a more natural use, that is, allowing the users hands to freely slide up and down the sides instead of grasping the rungs of the ladder. I e

A further object is to provide a ladder free from projections, which are likely to injure the clothing or the hands, and thus permits the persons hands to slide freely and easily over the sides of the ladderwhen being used. I v p A further object is to provide a ladder which will not only beornamental in appearance but so shaped as to lessen wind resistance and preventv accumulation of ice and snow when attached to a car.

Further objects such as a practical method of makin'gthe same will be in part obvious and in part hereinafter pointed out in connection with the accompanying sheet of drawings illustrating a preferred embodiment of the ladder, and in the several views of which corresponding parts are indicated by similar reference characters.

In the drawings Figure 1 shows an elevational view of one corner of an ordinary box car to which the ladder is applied.

Figure 2 is a detailed longitudinal-sectional view of a form of the ladder.

Figure 3 is a detailed perspective view showing a form of attaching means.

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional View showing another form of attaching means.

Referring now to the drawings in detail, 5 indicates one side Wall of an ordinary box LADDER.

1926. Serial No. 115,083.

vided with vertically disposed ladders for permitting the brakeinan to reach-the top of the car. The side ladder 7 is .provided with a depending auxiliary step 8 within I convenient stepping distance from the ground which may be integral with the side ladder if desired. The end ladder l0 isgenorally shorter and terminates above the buffe1. at the bottom ofthecar. y

' Both of these ladders are preferably made from a single piece of sheet steel rolled into a substantially flat U-shaped cross section as shown in Figure 3. The sideedges are curled inwardly towards the wall against which the ladder is positioned to form convenient side 1' hand grips 11 whereby as theuser in going up and down the ladder, he may naturally let hls hands slide along these curved edges instead of grasping the transverse steps or rungs. Clhesc steps 18 are preferably formed by passing this rolled strip of metal thru adie press, which punches or cuts'out the opening li along three sidesor throughout a part of itsarea .and turns inwardly the fourth side or portion 13 to form awide step which may also constitute a spacing member and attaching means ashereinafter explained. Thus,-if desired, this-step 13 may be provided with a further bend at right angles thereto, as indicated at 14 in Figure 4. This last portion should be provided with holes thru which belts or rivets 15 may pass for securing the ladder to the metallic end wa1l 6 of the car, for. example, and at the same time be properly spaced therefrom. ,Any number of steps may have formed thereon the securingportions 14, altho the ladderis advantageously secured to the car wall or other structure-by such and bottom steps only. When the ladder applied to a wooden sidewall, it may be found more desirable to use a filler block, such as shown at 16, Figure 3, thru which securing bolts or fastening devices 17 are adapted to pass. This filling block should be approximately two and a half inches in width, thereby to permit proper setting for the foot on each step 13, and also preventthe fingers from scraping the sides of the car as they slide up and down the sides 11.

In making a ladder of this character, an

- securing portions being formed onthe top ordinary sheet metal plate of approximately the size of the completed section is first passed thru one or more shaping rollers to give the desired curvature and finish, after which it is passed step by step thru the punching machine. This automatically cuts the step openings and turns in the uncut part to form the step spacing and attaching portion. This finished article may be most cheaply and inexpensively made.

The ladder herein shown less expensive to manufacture than the ordinaryrung ladder, and has further advantages, such as being safer, easier to climb, and less likely to cause accidents by breakage of parts. It is subject to easy repair in case of damage by collision or side swipe, as the parts may be easily bent back into shape or the broken parts be repaired by acetyline or electric welds. The average assembled ladder now in use on freight cars is made up of fifteen pieces not including the anchoringor securing devices, while the present ladder is made up of one piece and oi. any desired length. When the ladder is applied to walls of a building, for example, it is preferably assembled from sections from eight to twelve lieet in length, placed one above the other, thesepieces being movedthru the rollin cutting and punching machine in one continuous operation, and then nested one within the other, whereby they maybe COIWQ11- iently shipped and transported, utilizing the minimum amount of space.

From the above, it will be seen that the invention is of simple and practical construction, and well adapted to accomplish among others all of the objects and advantages herein set forth.

I claim: 5 1

1. A one piecemetallic ladder oi the character herein set forth, having inwardly curved side hand rails and a series of trans verse openings forming punched-in steps or rungs, said punched-in portions being partially removed and adapted to form spacing means from the side walls oi the structure to which it is applied.

2. A ladder comprising a single elongated piece of rolled metal having a substantially flat U-shaped cross section to term inwardly curved hand grips, and steps formed by punched-out portions in said plate, a material part of each punchecbout portion being bent inwardly at right angles to provide a step having a relatively wide flat footing spaced from the wall or the structure to which it is applied, and means associated.

secured to the wall.

3.21 ladder comprising a single elongated piece of rolled metal having a subwith the step whereby said ladder may be stantially flat U-shaped cross section to form inwardly curved hand grips, and steps formed by punched-out portions in said plate, part of each punched-out portion being bent inwardly at right angles to provide a step having a relatively wide fiat footing spaced from the wall of the structure to which it is applied, and a spacing block adapted to be interposed between the back of the ladder and wall.

' 4. A ladder formed oft relatively an sheet metal and provided with punched portions,

each punching being partially cut away and partially bent inwardly at right angles to form a fiat step, said inwardly bent portion extending beyond the plan of the ladder thereby to provide a spacing means to hold the ladder away from the wall to which it is secured.

5. A ladder formed of relatively flatsheet metal and provided with punched portions, each punching being partially cut away and partially bent inwardly to form a step, and means associated with said step for seeming the ladder permanently to a wall and hold. the body of the ladder in spaced relation from the plane of the wall, the sides out the plate forming said ladder being curved inwardly towards the wall, thereby to provide a natural hand slide.

6. A ladder formed of relatively fiat sheet metal plate and provided with punched portions, each punching being partially cut away and partially bent inwardly to form a step, and means extending from at least the top and bottom steps for securing the ladder permanently to a wall in spaced relation thereto, the sides of the plate forming said ladder being curved inwardly towards the wall, thereby to provide a natural hand slide, the lower part of the ladder being provided with an auxiliary step integral with the body of the ladder "and narrower than the body portion of the ladder.

7. The herein described'method of making ladders which consist in rolling a sheet of metal to give it a relatively flat U-shaped cross section, the sides of which constitute hand holds and punching step openings along the central part of said strip to provide steps, bending aportion of the punching inwardly at right angles to provide a' relatively wide step extending beyond the plane oi? the body of the ladder and hand holds, and forming securing portions coacting with at least the top and bottom steps for permanently securing the'ladder to a wall or the like.

Signed at New York, New York, this 4th day of June, 1926.

WILLIAM H. SAUVAGE. 

